Termidor SC - Questions & Answers

Termidor SC  used outdoors and Phantom used indoors have been the most effective products to control Crazy Raspberry Ants. Ant baits and synthetic pyrethroid insecticides do not seem to do an effective job controlling this ant species. Texas A&M University has done extensive research regarding these ants and you can find detailed articles on their extension website.

You will need to trench or drill around each pier or area of the house that touches the ground and apply either Termidor SC or Dominion 2L according to the product label instructions. Termidor SC will last for about 10 years in the soil while the lower cost Dominion 2L will last approximately 7 years in the soil.

Yes. You can find the spider and ant instructions on product label on page 13 on the bottom right hand side of the page. Basically you will mix .80 fl oz per gallon of water and spray 1 ft up the foundation and 1ft out onto the ground, around door frames, window frames, and any other exterior crack, crevice or gap where spiders may try to gain entry. Termidor SC is an outdoor only product and should not be used on the interior of your home for spiders or ants.

If you are lucky enough to have the wood on the deck run parallel to the house, then you can remove 2 runs of wood running against the house, perform the trench and treat method under the porch, and then put back the wood.  If your wood decking runs perpendicular from the house, then you don't have many options.  You can trench around the perimeter of the deck and then pour some termiticide from the bucket against the house so hopefully most of it is saturated into the ground against the house.  This is of course better than not doing anything at all, but you should keep a close eye on the area.

Termidor should not be used near a body of water.  If you are located very close to the lake, or are treating spiders in a boat house, you have to be very careful because insecticides are very detrimental to aquatic life.  If you live very close to the water then you should use Eco Exempt IC3.  It is an all natural product and will kill all insects.  Best of all it is not harmful to aquatic life.

There is not a soil sample test kit for homeowners use that we know of.  However, most states department of agriculture's have a way to test soil for termiticides.

The goal is to soak the bottom of the trench so the solution sinks down into the ground along the foundation.  After the solution soaks into the ground, you should apply the solution to the backfill as you push it back into the trench so you have a complete treated barrier against the house.

Termidor is not labeled to spray in the yard, it is only labeled to be applied next to the house as a spray for ants or in the ground for termites.  The rule of thumb is that Termidor can be applied as long as the well is more than 10 feet away from the house.  Termidor is made to bond to soil and not run off, but only when applied as a termite treatment into the ground. Please refer to the product label for complete application instructions and precautions.

We cannot comment on treatments performed by pest control operators. We can tell you that the Termidor SC product label does allow applications in wall voids only indoors and there are limited applications allowed in crawlspaces. You can read pages 13-15 of the Termidor SC product label to see if the application performed by the pest control operator follows the instructions given by the manufacturer.

Termidor SC is not labeled to be used in the manner you have described and it would be illegal to use it in such a way. Because Termidor SC does have the ability to be transferred from insect to insect you could potentially wipe out entire honey bee colonies by misusing the product which could be a huge problem for local farmers. The transfer effect that Termidor does have only works for social insects like ants, bees, wasps and termites. We recommend that you choose a product that lists bagworms on the product label such as Talstar P (Talstar P is the product most commonly selected by pros for bagworm control), Thuricide, Mavrik, or Permethrin SFR. Please take a few minutes to read our article Bagworm Control to learn when you should start spraying for bagworms.

The usage instructions for ant control and general pest control using Termidor SC is all the way at the very end of the product label and can be hard to find. You will need to use 0.80 fl oz (fill to the red measuring line on the bottle) per gallon of water for ant/general pest control outdoors around the perimeter of your home.

Termidor SC cannot be used in a garden or on edible vegetation. Termidor SC can only be used on or immediately adjacent (within 1-2 ft) to a structure.

If the ants are not being eliminated by the product you have down now and they don't seem to be avoiding the treated area there really shouldn't be a problem with applying Termidor SC right away. If you are finding some dead ants in the treated areas it would be best to wait a week or two so that the product that was already applied doesn't effect the non-repellency or the transfer factors of Termidor SC.

You did not name an insect but in most cases the old saying 'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" stands true. It is usually much easier to prevent insect infestations like using Termidor than to eliminate them once they start.

Termidor is not labeled for use on trees and plants.  It is only labeled for use around your homes foundation for termites, ants, and other selected pests.  For treating lawn, turf, and ornamental plants, trees, and shrubs that do not contain anything edible, you should Talstar Insecticide.

Termidor is the number one product on the market for termites today and is the product of choice for subterranean termites. Termidor is completely undetectable by termites and once termites touch it they contact, ingest and spread the termiticide until it eliminates the entire colony and it will last for about 10 years in the soil. Tengard can be detected by termites and they will try to avoid the treated areas and it will only eliminate the termites that come into direct contact with treated areas. Tengard will last for about 5 years in the soil.

We cannot answer that question for you.  You are definitely not required, however, if your state requires a termite letter at the time of closing, only professional companies can issue these letters and if you do not have an active contract with a company you will usually be forced to pay a large sum to have your house treated to get a clearance letter.  You should call your state Department of Agriculture which is usually the department that manages pest control companies and ask if your state is one that requires a termite closing letter when selling a house. 

The stakes are safe to use, but they are not a professional solution and are not strong enough to adequately protect your home. 

You should perform a liquid termite treatment in the ground to get the termites where they are entering your house.  To perform a treatment just as a professional company would do, please read our How To Do A Termite Treatment Article which explains exactly how you should treat your home properly.  Doing a treatment like what is described in the article will not only take care of existing termites that you have, but it will also protect and prevent future termites from entering for about 7 years. 

Here is a a link to the article:  http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/termite-treatment-c-3_352.html

You will need to trench all around the skirt just like you would a homes foundation and then you will need to trench around all of the blocks that are holding the trailer up just like you would a homes piers in a crawlspace. You are on the right track!

You cannot use the soil that was treated with Termidor SC for planting edible plants. You must keep any edible garden plants far enough away from the soil so that the roots do not enter that area. You should also note that if you disturb the trenched area where the Termidor SC was applied you will be disturbing the barrier and could cause an opening for termites to cross.